Remaining at the Margin and in the Center

BackgroundLooking up the terms center and margin, synonyms found for center are “the middle, nucleus, heart, core, hub” and synonyms for margin are “the border, edge, boundary, fringe, periphery.” These terms and their synonyms prompt me to ask questions about the concepts of “margin” and “center” as related to higher education. Questions such as: What are the challenges and benefits of being at the margins in the academy? What are the risks and benefits of moving to center? Can faculty of color move to center and continue to remain forces for change in the academy? Are there ways in which one can remain at the margin and in the center simultaneously?